Jason Burgos
A new rumor points to the All-Star that will be the Golden State Warriors‘ top target this Summer. However, there is one important hurdle that must be crossed first.
After entering the season as a dark horse contender in the West, injuries to Golden State’s top two players completely derailed their NBA Finals aspirations. Finishing the season with a 37-45 record and missing the playoffs guarantees that change is surely coming for the Warriors this offseason.
Over the last couple of weeks, rumors and speculation have swirled that NBA greats like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard will be on the team’s radar. But who is really at the top of their wish list? A new report shed new light on that question.
“League sources say that the Warriors were the team that most aggressively pursued a trade for the Clippers’ Leonard in the final stages before the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline after the Clippers had already traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac that same week,” Marc Stein reported on the Steinline.
Why Kawhi Leonard will be the Warriors’ top target this summer
The Warriors reportedly made a play for James in a trade a couple of years ago. They have also been seen as a top contender if he tests free agency this offseason. Golden State was reportedly very aggressive in its chase for an Antetokounmpo trade before the deadline as well.
James would need to take a significant pay cut to play for the Warriors if he doesn’t decide to retire this summer. While they will have more assets to offer this offseason, if their original trade package wasn’t good enough to convince the Milwaukee Bucks in February, will it really be enough in a couple of months?
Leonard comes with a lot of risks. But there is a real chance his contract could be voided, and he might be more willing than James to take a discounted rate to play for a contender. Or the Clippers could look to trade him. The cost to acquire the seven-time All-Star would be far lower than Antetokounmpo’s because of Leonard’s age and lengthy injury history.
Considering how hard they went after him before the trade deadline, it makes a lot of sense for Leonard to be the Warriors’ top target in the offseason. However, Stein does mention one major hurdle in their pursuit of Leonard or any veteran star.
“Whether the Warriors re-emerge as a suitor, however, could depend on whether Steve Kerr is back as Golden State’s coach after 12 seasons,” he wrote. “If Kerr re-ups as coach of this team, that would be a very strong signal that the Warriors will try to assemble at least one more veteran-laden roster around Stephen Curry to try to contend. If the sides part ways, by contrast, it could signal the start of a real Bay Area overhaul.”
